Many persons desire to display flags temporarily in a variety of locations for decorative purposes, as symbols of allegiance, support or affiliation, or as means for commercial advertising. For example, athletic team enthusiasts, such as college or high school students, their parents and relatives, as well as other team supporters, often wish to display the symbol, name, mascot, or color of their school as an expression of allegiance and support. A prime opportunity for displaying a team's symbols occurs when supporters are traveling to and from athletic events in which their favorite team is playing. Other situations also occur in which a person may wish to display a flag. For example, pleasure boaters may wish to display a flag from their boat for decorative or identification purposes. A similar need exists for a flag display device adapted for rapid and simple installation and removal from commercial vehicles, such as those operated by pizza delivery companies. Likewise, it may be desirable to display a flag from a static location to decorate a room or house. Thus, a need has existed for an adaptable means for displaying flags from a variety of locations which may easily be affixed to or removed from a surface of a static or moveable object.
A wide variety of display devices, including decals, magnetic signs, posters and flags, have been used in the past to satisfy the aforementioned display needs. However, with regard to any flag display device that must be attached to the exterior of a moving vehicle, many problems arise as the flag display device must withstand prolonged and relatively severe stresses due to wind loading. These stresses are especially pronounced at the mounting base of the display device due to the drag that results from air flowing past the flag. This problem is compounded by the need of travelers to display flags on selected occasions only, thus necessitating that the flag display device be easily removable from the vehicle. To satisfy these needs, it is undesirable to provide a fixed mounting that could easily remain attached to the vehicle as it moves. Likewise, as it is desirable that the flag display device be capable of placement on a variety of locations without requiring alteration of the mounting surface, it is important that no fixed bracket attachment need be mounted to the vehicle surface. Heretofore, it has been difficult for a removable flag display device meeting the foregoing requirements to remain affixed to a vehicle surface while the vehicle is driven for a prolonged time at highway speeds.
Automobiles, boats and similar vehicles, as well as many static objects, may have great variation in shapes and sizes, as the exterior surfaces of such vehicles and objects may be comprised of a plurality of shaped surfaces. A person who wishes to display a flag from his vehicle may wish to select any number of these exterior surfaces as the mounting site for a flag. Such choices may be necessary to achieve optimum visibility or decorative effect, to prevent restricting the vision of the vehicle driver, or for some other reason of one's own devising. Similar decorative and functional choices arise when a flag is to be displayed from a static location. Consequently, it may be necessary to attach the flag display device to a horizontal, inclined, sloped or even vertical surface.
Because the angle of a surface determines the angle of the mounting base, it is desirable that the angle of the flagstaff be adjustable relative to the mounting base of the flag display device so that the flagstaff may be maintained in a desired orientation. In this way the flag attached thereto maybe displayed properly. For example, to ensure that the flag will be displayed ornamentally and that the design or message thereon may be seen clearly by all observers, some persons may wish that the flagstaff be positioned generally vertically so that the flag can open fully when the wind flows past it, as occurs when a vehicle on which the flag display device is mounted is in motion. Alternatively, if the flag is displayed from a static structure, such as a house window, it may be desireable that the flagstaff be situated essentially horizontally so that the body of the flag will drape downwardly, thus revealing the flag's message or symbol in a quiescent environment. As another example, persons who mount a flag on a vehicle may wish the flagstaff to slant slightly toward the rear of the vehicle so that the design of the flag displayed thereon will be visible when the vehicle is at rest. Many other variations in mounting preferences are readily apparent, and as a result, it is desirable that the flag display device have a flagstaff that may be adjusted over a wide range of angles to compensate for attachment of the display flag device to an inclined, horizontal or vertical surface to enable a user of the flag display device to position the flagstaff in some desired angular attitude.
Persons may frequently wish to display different flags on different occasions. For example, a supporter of a collegiate athletic team may wish to display his team's colors while traveling to and from a big game; however, at another time, he may wish to display some other design, such as the colors of a professional or high school sports team, an advertisement, or a fanciful design. Accordingly, it is desirable that the flag display device be adapted for interchangeably receiving and securely engaging a variety of flags.
Devices adapted for displaying a flag or sign from a staff mounted on the exterior of an automobile have been described in the following patents: Gualano, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,685; Hawes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,821; Hawes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,360; Gagnon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,925; O'Neill, U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,126; Sheetz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,134; Moon, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,153; Steed, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,883; and Griffin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,147.
The Hawes '821 patent shows an assembly that is adapted for attaching a sign bearing staff to the exterior of a vehicle by securing a clamp to the upper edge of the generally vertical adjustable window on the side of a vehicle. This patent shows means for adjusting the angular attitude of the staff to compensate for the angular orientation of the car window. Likewise, the Hawes '360 patent shows an apparatus for attachment to the upper edge of a vehicle window which has a staff angle adjustment feature. The Gulano '685 patent shows a staff holder that attaches to the rain gutter of an automobile and which has a staff angle adjustment device. The Gagnon '925, O'Neill '426, Sheetz '134, Moon, et al, '153, Steed, et al. '883 and Griffin '147 patents likewise show flag or sign staff display devices adapted for grippingly engaging the upper edge of an adjustable side window on a vehicle. However, none of these patents show means for attaching the display device to the surface of a vehicle. The clamp attachment means shown in these patents limit those staffs to mounting on a vehicle at a limited number of points, namely, the upper edge of the side windows, except for the Gulano '685 patent, which shows a device limited to mounting on the rain gutter of a vehicle. Thus, the flag display devices in all of these patents except for the Gulano '685 patent present the distinct disadvantage that the window on which they are mounted cannot be rolled down without either releasing the display device from the window or impeding the visibility of the driver or other vehicle occupant. Thus, the use of these devices necessarily denies occupants of the vehicle's interior the convenience of rolling down the window to improve ventilation or of gaining access to the exterior of the vehicle without opening the car door. Further, these window mounted display devices present gaps above the window which create undesirable air whistling noises in the vehicle.
The following patents show means for removably attaching a flag or pennant to a flagstaff or similar device: Keeley, U.S. Pat. No. 1,343,140; Keaton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,940; Hawes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,821; Hawes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,360; Scarlet, U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,269; McGahee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,226; Knaack, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,182; Hufton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,827; Sheetz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,134; Steed et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,883; and Moreland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,369.
It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a flag display device capable of securely yet removably adhering to smooth surfaces, such as the body panels and windows of an automobile.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flag display device on which flags may be quickly and easily interchanged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flag display device that includes means for quickly adjusting the angle of the flagstaff relative to the mounting base.